Let’s go, shall we?

The film opens in 1986, in a Soviet weapons plant in the northern Russian town of Arkhangelsk. It won’t do you any good to go there though, the scene was actually shot in Switzerland, at the Verzasca Dam near Hittnau. There you can get a real taste of the Bond lifestyle by recreating his famous bungee jump through Trekking Tours. 

One of the film’s unmistakable locations, though, is the Casino de Monte-Carlo (Place du Casino, MC 98000). Located at the heart of the decadent and glamourous principality, the casino is where Brosnan’s Bond meets up with the villainess Xenia Onatopp, played by Famke Janssen. If you want to visit the casino be prepared to dress up and bring your passport — you must be at least 18 and citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter.

Not far from there you’ll head to the Port d’Hercule Harbor (Quai Albert 1er, La Condamine), filled with luxury yachts — especially during busy Grand Prix season. You’ll recognize the Harbor as where Onatopp steals the steals the Tiger Helicopter.

Then its off to Russia, and to the headquarters of the Janus crime syndicate in St. Petersburg. Here you’ll see the Neva River and St. Isaac’s Cathedral (Isaakievskaya Ploschad 1, St. Petersburg). Most of the other “Russian” scenes were filmed in locations around London, including the airport scene, which was actually filmed at England’s Epsom Downs racecourse (Surrey, KT18 5LQ).

Arecibo Observatory

Next stop is Cuba, which — for obvious reasons — did not play itself in the film. Instead production crews headed to nearby Puerto Rico. Once there, you won’t want to miss the Arecibo Observatory, or “El Radar,” in Arecibo, about a one-hour drive from San Juan. Feel free to skip the museum at the Observatory and just take in the awe-inspiring views of the massive radio telescope, which has had starring roles in ‘Contact‘ and the ‘X-Files‘, as well as in ‘GoldenEye.’ Read more about the Observatory in Jose Lustre Jr.’s tour of Puerto Rico in Film+Travel from Museyon Guides.

Take a tour of the world’s largest country that goes back to Sergei Eisenstein and the earliest days of cinema. Find out why so many “Russian” films were actually shot in neighboring Soviet Republics, and visit St. Petersburg, a city that still boasts some of film’s most famous landmarks.

 About Your Guide: Laurel Maury has had a fascination with Russian literature her entire life. She traveled to the Soviet Union as a child and to Russia as an adult. She reviews books for The Los Angeles Times and graphic novels for NPR.

photo: iStock